If This is Konoha
by Bonfiore'sGirl
Summary: Based on the song Austin by Blake Shelton. About a year ago, Lee left without a word of explanation. Every day since, Gaara has left the same words on his answering machine. Is it enough to rekindle their flame? GaaLee


**A/N Hey everyone! There are probably a few people waiting for me to update Personality Switch or Live For Love or maybe even Destruction Avatar. I'm sorry everyone, but it will probably be a while before any of those are updated. Especially Destruction Avatar. Anyway, this fic is a GaaLee based on the song Austin by Blake Shelton. I highly recommend this song to all you romantics out there because it is just too sweet.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, just some of the fan-crazed merchandise. I don't own Austin either. I'm not that good.**

**Warnings: GaaLee, which means yaoi, some possible OOCness (I'm not sure yet), and dangerous amounts of cotton-candy type fluff. You have been warned.**

**In case anyone gets confused, words in** _italics_ **are coming from the phone.**

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**If This is Konoha…**

It had been almost a year since Lee had left. Gaara had just come home one day to find his house empty. All of Lee's stuff was gone and there was no sign of the boy anywhere. The redheaded kazekage had roamed the house slowly and silently, breathing in the fleeting scent of the black-haired leaf ninja and looking for anything that would tell him why. Of course, he already knew the root of the problem. Neji Hyuga. Every time that longhaired annoyance had come to visit them, he'd somehow found a way to talk to Lee privately. Each time, Lee got a little less cheerful until finally he left. Gaara didn't know what Neji had said; he wasn't the nosey type and had never asked. Maybe he should have been. Maybe, if he'd asked, Lee wouldn't have left him on their eighteen-month anniversary. Gaara still had the flowers he'd brought home that day. They sat, dried up, on the counter near the blender, which was, for some reason, Lee's favorite kitchen appliance.

The redhead sighed and continued with his morning routine. He knew where Lee was, and for the millionth time he considered going after him. Going to Konoha to beg the green-clad ninja to return to him and give him another shot. Even as he rinsed and spat the toothpaste out of his mouth, he knew he wouldn't do it. If Lee wanted him, then he could come back on his own. Gaara wouldn't chase him.

What he would do, however is change the message on his machine. Lee used to love doing that. He'd begged Gaara to let him change it everyday, just for the fun of it. The redhead had always said no. Well, when it took Lee ten minutes to come up with a message and three tries to get it right, who could blame him? Gaara just didn't have that kind of time in the morning, being kazekage and all.

Ever since Lee had left, Gaara had been changing the message everyday to reflect his schedule, with the last line always being the same. He walked to the machine and pushed the button to record the day's message, and then left. As he walked towards his office, he didn't hear the phone ring.

--

Lee was sitting on his couch in front of the TV after finishing his training. It was only mid-day and he had already done everything he needed to do. Gai-sensei was out on a mission, Neji was training with Hiashi, and TenTen was baby-sitting for her neighbor. So much energy, so little to do. Lee hated days like this. It was days like this that he missed Gaara. No matter what, the redhead had always had time to spare for Lee.

It had hurt to leave, but what had hurt more was the fact that Gaara had never once told Lee he'd loved him. Sure, Gaara did sweet things like bringing him flowers and dedicating songs to him, but he'd never once said the words. And to make it worse, Neji had noticed. Every time the Hyuga had a chance, he'd brought it up.

_"Has he told you he loves you, yet Lee? When's the last time he told you he loves you, Lee? He hasn't told you he loves you yet, has he Lee? What if he never will? What if he doesn't?"_

Lee shook his head in an attempt to rid himself of the sneering voice. Now he was depressed. He turned off the TV and picked up the phone. No doubt Gaara had a new boyfriend, but he wanted to talk to the redhead. He wanted to apologize, and finally explain his actions. He dialed the familiar number.

_Riiiing… Riiiing… Riiiing…_ There was a little click. 'Great, the machine,' Lee thought sarcastically, but what he heard next made his heart stop.

_"You've reached the kazekage. I'm not able to come to the phone right now. This is Tuesday, so I have three meetings and a dinner to go to. Unless you're an idiot, you know what to do when you hear the beep. I'll get back to you later tonight or early tomorrow. Oh, and P.S. If this is Konoha, I still love you." …BEEEEEP_

The phone clattered to the floor loudly as Lee remained frozen. He'd said it. Not only had he said it, but he was saying it a year after the now stupid feeling black-haired ninja had left. That love was unmatched, and Lee had run out on it. He sat there on the couch, just staring at the phone, trying to get up the courage to re-dial that number. The phone started to make that annoying offline noise, and Lee hung it up. He eventually got up and went to bed, casting one last, longing glance at the phone and wishing he could call Gaara again. However, he had a problem to solve before he could do that. Gaara still loved him, but did he still love Gaara?

It had been three days since Lee had listened to the message on Gaara's machine. He'd made up his mind, and dialed the number again. _Riiiing… Riiiing… Riiiing…_ _Click._ The machine again.

_"If it's Friday night, I'm on the road to add an oasis to our travel maps. I'll be gone most of the weekend. But I'll call you back when I get home on Sunday afternoon. Oh, and P.S. If this is Konoha, I still love you." …BEEEEEP_

Lee left his phone number, and only his number, and hung up. When Sunday rolled around, Lee didn't go out to train. Instead, he sat on the couch with food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and stared at the phone. It was about five o'clock when… _Riiiing…_ Lee lurched to grab the phone.

--

Gaara got home from the boring mission of okaying the oasis as a travel destination to find a few messages on his machine. He hit the play button. The first message was from Naruto. He was describing his training and life down to the smallest detail until the machine cut him off. The second was a reminder from Temari that he had to be at the grand opening of something or other on Tuesday. The third started playing.

"Eight nine four, two three two one." It said, and that was it. It was enough. Gaara lurched to his machine, wide-eyed. That voice. He hadn't heard that voice in almost a year. A year tomorrow, actually. Lee. He checked the clock on the wall. Five o'clock. He listened to the message again, this time writing the number down. He dialed. _Riiiing… Riii-_ The ring was cut off by the other end being picked up.

"_If you're calling about my heart, it's still yours. I should have listened to it a little more. Then it wouldn't have taken me so long to know where I belong. And by the way, Gaara, this is no machine you're talking to. Can't you tell, this is Konoha? And I still love you."_ Gaara couldn't help it. His eyes welled up, and a warm tear trickled down his cheek. He didn't let it enter his voice, however.

"Lee. You finally called."

"_Gaara, I'm sorry I left. Especially without saying anything. That was the worst thing I could do. Will you forgive me?"_ Lee sounded nervous. A smiled tugged at the edge of Gaara's lips.

"Will you tell me why you left?" he countered.

Lee hesitated, _"Neji convinced me that you didn't love me because you never said 'I love you'."_

Gaara frowned. That stupid little Hyuga needed to be taught a lesson he wouldn't forget. Ever. "I do love you, Lee. Will you come back?"

The black-haired ninja's voice picked up a perky tone and Gaara could practically see him with his big smile, jumping up and down._ "Of course I will! I'll pack my bags and be there by tomorrow!" _And with that he hung up. Gaara knew better than to try to get a word in, the green-clad ninja was too excited to be stopped at that point. The redhead hung up and walked into the kitchen. The dry flowers still sat near the blender, but something was different. Gaara looked closer to see a green flower bud growing off one of the stems. A new beginning.

--

**A/N Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it. If you did, please send a review my way. If you didn't, tell me what I can do better, please. Even an emoticon is helpful in telling me what you thought. It'll only take a second of your precious time. Thank you! -Bon'sGirl**


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